Singapore retains spot as Asia’s Top Convention City for the 12th consecutive year

Singapore has retained its position as Asia’s Top Convention City for 12 years running, according to the latest Global Rankings by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). In 2013, Singapore hosted a record 175 ICCA events, a 16.7 per cent increase from 150 in 2012, achieving the strongest year-on-year growth since 2005.

The accolade comes on the back of a stellar year for Singapore tourism as the country welcomed a record 15.6 million visitors who generated S$23.5 billion in tourism receipts.

There was also robust performance in the Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) industry. In 2013, BTMICE visitor arrivals hit 3.5 million with an estimated expenditure of S$5.5 billion.

Singapore’s international appeal, strategic location and access to key Asian markets were keys reasons why organisers held their events in Singapore. In 2013, Singapore hosted 12 world congresses and several key meetings in 2013, including some first-in-Asia or Singapore events such as the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)’s World Library and Information Congress which attracted 3,900 top international librarians from 114 countries to Singapore over eight days, at its 79th IFLA General Conference and Assembly in August 2013. This congress generated the highest attendance among library congresses held in Asia.

“We are once again, privileged to have earned the confidence and trust of meeting planners and delegates,” commented Ms Neeta Lachmandas, Assistant Chief Executive of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). “But we are not resting on our laurels. One of our current priorities is to work closely with the event organisers and partners in related industries to provide an even more seamless and enjoyable overall experience for our business visitors. Whether it’s exclusive airline and airport benefits or instilling social responsibility towards the environment, we are aiming to strengthen our meetings ecosystem and offer a smooth and efficient experience for our visitors.”

Through public-private collaborations, Singapore continues to build a robust pipeline of events. Upcoming first-in-Asia events taking place in Singapore this year include the 9th International Conference on Intelligent Sensors, Sensor Networks and Information Processing (ISSNIP), International Bar Association Corporate Governance Conference, Special Education Network in Asia (SENIA) Conference as well as International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling (ICIDS).